According to the American Heart Association, regular aerobic physical activity plays a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. It can help control blood lipid abnormalities, diabetes, obesity, and decrease blood pressure, all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Studies have also shown individuals who began an exercise regimen following a heart attack experienced better quality of life and higher survival rates. On the other hand, physical inactivity is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease. Healthy individuals and those with cardiovascular disease not only improve their fitness levels by beginning a regular exercise regimen, but can maintain and improve the health of their heart. This page will further explain the benefits of exercise, cautions that need to be taken into consideration and recommendations for those with or at risk for cardiovascular disease.
Benefits of Exercise Exercise has numerous health and recovery benefits for those with cardiovascular disease including:
Strengthening the heart and cardiovascular system
Improving circulation and oxygen use by tissues and cells
Improving symptoms of heart failure
Increasing energy levels to reduce shortness of breath and exhaustion during physical activity
Increasing endurance
Lowering blood pressure
Improving muscle tone and strength
Increasing flexibility
Improving feeling of overall health and self confidence
Cautions
Always consult with a physician before beginning an exercise program.
Individuals with heart disease should approach exercise with caution. Communication with a physician and recognition the following warning signs are important when deciding if physical activity is too intense.
Fatigue
Chest pain, shortness of breath
Dizziness, light-headedness, confusion
Pressure or pain in the chest, neck, jaw, or shoulders
If any of these symptoms do not go away after discontinuing exercise, a physician should be consulted immediately.
Individuals with heart disease should avoid certain types of exercises:
Isometric exercises: a type of strength training in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change during contraction. (Done in static positions)
Exercising outdoors in extreme heat or cold
Heavy lifting
Running in hilly or steep areas
Example of isometric exercise: Isometric Exercise Plank Bridge: Hold bridge for 10-30 seconds 2-3 times Side Bridge: Hold bridge for 10-30 seconds 2-3 times
Aerobic Activity Aerobic activity is also known as cardio, because it conditions your cardiovascular system. Aerobic activity will elicit a number of responses in the body, including increased heart rate, increased breathing frequency, and possibly sweating.
Aerobic activity can be moderate or high-intensity.
A helpful guideline to follow: 1 minute of vigorous-intensity exercise is equivalent to 2 minutes of moderate intensity exercise.
Moderate Aerobic Exercise To determine whether exercise is moderate or vigorous, during moderate exercise heart rate and breathing should increase but having a conversation should still be a possibility.
Click on the image below to read more about the importance of aerobic exercise:
Moderate Aerobic Exercise
Vigorous Aerobic Exercise When engaging in vigorous exercise, there will be a large increase in breaths per minute and heart rate. This type of exercise should limit the ability to have a conversation.
Examples of vigorous aerobic exercise include:
Running or jogging
Cycling (10 + mph)
Swimming laps
Jumping Rope
Walking at a pace 5 mph or faster
Backpacking
Mountain climbing
Stationary Bicycle
Social walking
*Any of the above can be done at a lower, comfortable intensity if necessary.
More information on moderate and vigorous physical activity:
Recommendations Health benefits are gained by meeting the following recommendations for exercise in addition to regular physical activity throughout the day.
Adults:
Aerobic sessions should last 20 to 30 minutes, at least three to four times a week.
Muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week.
Older Adults (65+)
Older adults should follow the recommendations for adults. If unable to meet these guidelines, they should incorporate as much physical activity as their conditions allow.
Click on the image below to read more about exercising as an older adult:
Weight Training Although weight training may be more intimidating, there are safe and fun ways of maintaining muscles.
Recommendations include exercising two to three days a week with low to moderate resistance.These exercises should include 8-10 exercise sets with 10-15 repetitions each.
Exercises should include big "bang-for-your-buck" exercises like:
Bench press, shoulder press, reverse hyper-extension, leg presses, and pull-through or other variations of a dead lift, as well as accessory lifts like bicep curls, triceps extensions, dumbbell rows, and leg extensions/curls. If free weights are used, 15-30 lb is generally adequate for resistance.
The perceived effort should be relatively hard when performing resistance training with free weights. However, for older adults, using 5-10 lb. hand weights to do exercises such as bicep curls, triceps extensions, and shoulder presses is a great way to add weight and is something that can be done at home.
Click on the image below to see an example of a new exercise class that incorporates weight training with cardiovascular health in mind.
How do these different types of exercise fit together? There are three essential phases to a good workout program: warm-up, conditioning/work phase, and cool-down.
The warm-up should be treated like a primer for the body, which allows it to go from the resting state to the active state. Instead of shocking the body into work, a good warm-up allows a gradual increase in breathing, heart rate, and body temperature as well as warming up muscles and making them more flexible. It also reduces injury.
This phase should include stretching while moving, called dynamic stretching. Static stretching (stretching while in one spot), before warming up can increase injury. You should do moving stretches such as walking kicks, walking and pulling your knee or heel up, and other dynamic stretches. This phase should also include a dynamic range of motion/mobility exercises, and should be performed at a low intensity for no more than 10-15 minutes.
Refer to the video below for explanations and examples of dynamic vs. static stretches.
The conditioning phase is when useful work is done. During this phase, intensity is the key player in how benefits are reaped and calories are burned via aerobic activities and big "bang-for-your-buck" exercises mentioned earlier.
This phase should comprise the bulk of the workout lasting 20-30 minutes or more, depending on your capability.
The cool down phase occurs at the tail end of the workout, and cools down the body as it exits the conditioning phase. Throughout this phase breathing patterns and heart rate will return back to a resting state in the same low intensity fashion as the warm up. It is recommended to perform the same exercises as the warm-up phase; however, holding the stretches for a longer period of time (static stretch), and performing exercises that enhance flexibility rather than mobility are beneficial. Since this is the stage when muscles are warmest and most flexible, the most flexibility can be gained.
This phase should last no more than 10-15 minutes.
According to the American Heart Association, regular aerobic physical activity plays a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. It can help control blood lipid abnormalities, diabetes, obesity, and decrease blood pressure, all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Studies have also shown individuals who began an exercise regimen following a heart attack experienced better quality of life and higher survival rates. On the other hand, physical inactivity is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease. Healthy individuals and those with cardiovascular disease not only improve their fitness levels by beginning a regular exercise regimen, but can maintain and improve the health of their heart. This page will further explain the benefits of exercise, cautions that need to be taken into consideration and recommendations for those with or at risk for cardiovascular disease.
Benefits of Exercise
Exercise has numerous health and recovery benefits for those with cardiovascular disease including:
Cautions
Always consult with a physician before beginning an exercise program.
Individuals with heart disease should approach exercise with caution. Communication with a physician and recognition the following warning signs are important when deciding if physical activity is too intense.If any of these symptoms do not go away after discontinuing exercise, a physician should be consulted immediately.
Individuals with heart disease should avoid certain types of exercises:
Example of isometric exercise:
Isometric Exercise
Plank Bridge: Hold bridge for 10-30 seconds 2-3 times
Side Bridge: Hold bridge for 10-30 seconds 2-3 times
http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/isometric-exercises.html
Do not exercise in extreme temperature conditions to avoid difficulty breathing and chest pain.
Stay hydrated. It is important to stay well hydrated before, during, and after exercise. Follow these guidelines from ACSM:
For more information on hydration, view the following page:
American Heart Association - Staying Hydrated
Aerobic Activity
Aerobic activity is also known as cardio, because it conditions your cardiovascular system. Aerobic activity will elicit a number of responses in the body, including increased heart rate, increased breathing frequency, and possibly sweating.
Aerobic activity can be moderate or high-intensity.
A helpful guideline to follow: 1 minute of vigorous-intensity exercise is equivalent to 2 minutes of moderate intensity exercise.
Moderate Aerobic Exercise
To determine whether exercise is moderate or vigorous, during moderate exercise heart rate and breathing should increase but having a conversation should still be a possibility.
Examples of moderate aerobic exercise include:
- Brisk Walking
- Housework (i.e. cleaning, vacuuming, washing windows, mopping)
- Bicycling (lightly)
- Badminton
- Tennis (Doubles)
- Water aerobics
- Dancing (social)
Click on the image below to read more about the importance of aerobic exercise:Vigorous Aerobic Exercise
When engaging in vigorous exercise, there will be a large increase in breaths per minute and heart rate. This type of exercise should limit the ability to have a conversation.
Examples of vigorous aerobic exercise include:
*Any of the above can be done at a lower, comfortable intensity if necessary.
More information on moderate and vigorous physical activity:
Recommendations
Health benefits are gained by meeting the following recommendations for exercise in addition to regular physical activity throughout the day.
Adults:
Older Adults (65+)
Click on the image below to read more about exercising as an older adult:
For more information on exercise guidelines, please visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html
Weight Training
Although weight training may be more intimidating, there are safe and fun ways of maintaining muscles.
Recommendations include exercising two to three days a week with low to moderate resistance.These exercises should include 8-10 exercise sets with 10-15 repetitions each.
Click on the image below to see an example of a new exercise class that incorporates weight training with cardiovascular health in mind.
For more information on strength training and sample weight-lifting plans for beginners, intermediates, and advanced individuals, please visit:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=161
American College of Sports Medicine brochure on resistance training:
http://www.acsm.org/docs/brochures/resistance-training.pdf
In home weight training exercising:
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20070716/weight-training-for-heart-disease
Exercise Programming
How do these different types of exercise fit together? There are three essential phases to a good workout program: warm-up, conditioning/work phase, and cool-down.
The warm-up should be treated like a primer for the body, which allows it to go from the resting state to the active state. Instead of shocking the body into work, a good warm-up allows a gradual increase in breathing, heart rate, and body temperature as well as warming up muscles and making them more flexible. It also reduces injury.
- This phase should include stretching while moving, called dynamic stretching. Static stretching (stretching while in one spot), before warming up can increase injury. You should do moving stretches such as walking kicks, walking and pulling your knee or heel up, and other dynamic stretches. This phase should also include a dynamic range of motion/mobility exercises, and should be performed at a low intensity for no more than 10-15 minutes.
- Refer to the video below for explanations and examples of dynamic vs. static stretches.
The conditioning phase is when useful work is done. During this phase, intensity is the key player in how benefits are reaped and calories are burned via aerobic activities and big "bang-for-your-buck" exercises mentioned earlier.- This phase should comprise the bulk of the workout lasting 20-30 minutes or more, depending on your capability.
The cool down phase occurs at the tail end of the workout, and cools down the body as it exits the conditioning phase. Throughout this phase breathing patterns and heart rate will return back to a resting state in the same low intensity fashion as the warm up. It is recommended to perform the same exercises as the warm-up phase; however, holding the stretches for a longer period of time (static stretch), and performing exercises that enhance flexibility rather than mobility are beneficial. Since this is the stage when muscles are warmest and most flexible, the most flexibility can be gained.- This phase should last no more than 10-15 minutes.
Video Reference comparing and contrasting dynamic stretching (before exercise) and static stretching (after exercise):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8knLSFeQ84
For more information about precautions and recommended safe exercises for those with heart disease please visit:
- http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/exercise-healthy-heart
- http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/exercise-precautions
- http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/safe-exercise-patients
- http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/heart_failure/hic_heart_failure_exercise-activity_guidelines.aspx
- http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/water-for-exercise-fitness
- http://www.acsm.org/docs/current-comments/exercise-for-persons-with-cardiovascular-disease.pdf
- http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/113/22/2642.full.pdf
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15076798
- http://www.nationaljewish.org/healthinfo/conditions/cardio/exercise-and-heart-disease/
- http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/107/1/e2.full
- http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20070716/weight-training-for-heart-disease
References:- Benefits of Exercise
http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/exercisehttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/staying-active-full-story/
https://www.acsm.org/docs/brochures/selecting-and-effectively-using-hydration-for-fitness.pdf
- Recommendations for Adults
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/107/1/e2.full